The Delhi Police on Tuesday, 17 January, added section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the case of the death of the 20-year-old woman in Delhi's Kanjhawala on 1 January.
This comes a day after the police told the Rohini court that they are in the process of invoking the murder section in the case. Initially section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) was in the FIR. The deceased, Anjali Singh, was on her way back from work on a two-wheeler when a grey Baleno car hit her, and dragged her body for several kilometres. The incident took place around 2.05 am and her mangled remains were found at 4.40 am on 1 January.
What is the Police Saying? On Tuesday, Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Sagar Preet Hooda said that after collection of evidence the police invoked IPC section 302 in the case.
"After collection of physical, oral, forensic and other scientific evidence, the police has added section 302 IPC, in place of section 304 IPC. Further investigation is in progress," said Hooda.
Section 304 of the IPC pertains to culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
The Quint also spoke to Singh's uncle Prem Singh who confirmed that murder charge has been added to the FIR in the case. "We received a call from the SHO who informed us that section 302 has been added to the FIR in the case," he said.
What happened on 1 January? Singh, who worked in an events company, was returning home in the wee hours of Sunday, 1 January, when a grey Baleno car hit her two-wheeler and dragged her entangled body for over two hours, as per Delhi Police. Two days after the accident, the police had revealed that she was not alone. Another woman was riding pillion on the two-wheeler, and fled after the accident.
Who are the accused? Seven men were arrested after an FIR was filed under sections pertaining to rash driving, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and death due to negligence.
A seventh accused named Ankush was granted bail on Saturday, 7 January, on a personal bond of Rs 20,000 in the case, after he had surrendered to the police on Friday, 6 January.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)